Curry had gained the affections of the crowd by leading a comeback from a 10-point deficit with under four minutes remaining, prompting chants of “MVP” in Brooklyn. But the Warriors point guard flubbed his final opportunity after Jack‘s jumper, attempting a reverse layup well after the final buzzer to officially fire up Nets coach Lionel Hollins.

“We can send all those Golden State fans home that came to watch here in Brooklyn,” Hollins said. […] “There were a lot of roaring when (the Warriors) were coming back,” he said. “But the loudest roar was for Jarrett at the end.”

Monday’s effort moved the Nets (25-33) into eighth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of the Pacers. It also marked their fourth win in six games, a stretch starting immediately after a trade deadline that had most of the roster on the block. […] “My name was out there (to be traded),” Deron Williams said. “I think it’s a big part (of playing better) that you know this is your team. Before we didn’t know if Brook (Lopez) is going to be there tomorrow or Jarrett or whoever. So now we know this is who we got and this is what we’re working with.”

It is still possible the Sixers could waive Robinson again soon, clearing the way for the Nets to sign him for the rest of the season and a possible playoff appearance.

The Sixers needed the sum of Robinson’s remaining salary to honor the obligations of the collective bargaining agreement that dictate a team needs to reach within 90 percent of the NBA’s salary floor before season’s end – or pay out that shortfall amount equally among the rest of the players on the roster.

Robinson’s $3,678,360 salary pushes the Sixers over the salary floor. Denver is no longer responsible for paying Robinson’s salary.

The Sixers can use Robinson to reach the salary then waive him again. Nevertheless, their initial plan is to keep Robinson and take a look at him in the short-term, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

What do you think, will the Sixers hang on to Robinson or waive him yet again?

The Nets and Thunder are discussing a deal that would include center Kendrick Perkins, forward Perry Jones and Jackson joining the Nets, but Brooklyn is working to gauge the enthusiasm of Jackson about coming to Brooklyn, league sources said.

The Nets are prepared to move guard Jarrett Jack in a deal, clearing the way for Jackson to become the starter and a franchise cornerstone, league sources said. Deron Williams would continue to be used in a reserve role for the Nets.

The Nets are committed to turning the team over to Jackson, which is what it would take to get him to make a long-term commitment. The major reason he wants out of Oklahoma City is his desire to be a starter in the NBA. […] Jackson turned down a four-year, $48 million extension with the Thunder, and it is believed that it could take something closer to Eric Bledoe’s $14 million annual salary with the Suns to procure him, league sources said.

Despite the rumors, Nets head coach Lionel Hollins doesn’t expect his roster to change by the Thursday afternoon trade deadline.

Per the NY Daily News:

“The rumors are true,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s late-night practice in L.A. “My name is out there (in trade discussions). Anything is possible. I’m definitely going to have my phone on.”

As one of the highest paid players in the NBA, Johnson has been shopped and linked to a variety of teams — including the Hornets and Pistons. However, a team source refuted that there was any traction to the discussions with Detroit, which reportedly included a package surrounding Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings. […] “There is nothing,” the source said.

Johnson, who used the long All-Star break to rest the tendinitis in his knees and feels “refreshed,” is prepared for a surprise. […] “At some point in time, I’m going to have to leave. I’m going to have to go,” Johnson said. “If the organization decides on keeping me, great. If I have to get traded, it’s part of it. Either one. I’ve heard so many rumors. My name has come up in different trades so I just have to wait and see.”

The greatest player in Minnesota Timberwolves history could be returning — according to multiple published reports, the Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets are engaged in serious trade talks involving Kevin Garnett.

KG, you may recall, hopes to purchase the Timberwolves (who famously traded the legend back in 2007 after twelve seasons to the Boston Celtics) once his brilliant NBA career comes to an end.

Per ESPN:

Sources said the sides have engaged in serious discussions on the deal, which would ultimately require Garnett’s approval even if the teams agree before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline, since Garnett possesses one of the NBA’s six full no-trade clauses.

Garnett has insisted in recent weeks that he is not in the market for an in-season exit from Brooklyn, largely because he does not wish to displace his family ‎in the middle of the season.

But the Wolves, sources say, are hopeful that the chance to play out what might be his final NBA season as a member of the team that drafted him out of high school in 1995 — and under longtime coach Flip Saunders — could lead Garnett to reconsider. Such a trade, of course, would also mean the hypercompetitive Garnett has to leave the Eastern Conference playoff race to join a team at the bottom of the West.

Although the cost of a ride on the NYC subways is rising faster than the Nets’ payroll, the MTA has finally done something right. With the All-Star game tipping off at Madison Square Garden on February 15, the MTA has launched limited-edition MetroCards celebrating the All-Star Game.

The All-Star Game logo celebrates the New York City Transit subway map, and also uses the system’s iconic signage. The NBA and MTA will give out 600,000 cards at various subway and bus stations throughout the city. This isn’t the first time MetroCards have been used to advertise sports as the Brooklyn Nets launched the 2014-15 season with a branded fare card, and the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl Host Committee commemorated Super Bowl XLVIII last year with a series of four different MetroCard designs.

This All-Star Game card includes the Knicks and Nets, as orange and blue and black and white are used in the numbers on the front. Though when you think about how off-track the seasons have gone for the Knicks and Nets, maybe it would have been best to pick a different color scheme for the subways?

The Nets may be looking to trade Brook Lopez, but they’re not taking just any offer. According to ESPN‘s Marc Stein, Brooklyn was recently offered a package from the Denver Nuggets featuring JJ Hickson, Javale McGee and one of the first round picks that the team received in the Timofey Mozgov trade with the Cavs. The Nets’ response? Nah, we’re good.

The Brooklyn Nets continue to explore the possibility of trading center Brook Lopez but to date have resisted a serious push from the Denver Nuggets, according to league sources.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Nuggets have offered big men JaVale McGee and J.J. Hickson, as well as one of the two draft picks Denver recently acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers for center Timofey Mozgov, in exchange for the Lopez.

But Brooklyn, sources say, has rebuffed those advances so far.

Lopez is averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game this year and is shooting 50 percent from the field. He has one year left on his contract: a player option for the 2015-16 season worth a little less than $17 million. The Nets have been shopping him all year—they were close to making a deal with the Thunder in January—and we can probably assume that, come the trade deadline on Feb. 19, Lopez will be suiting up for a different team.

When you think of basketball super fans, a few stark images come to mind; Spike Lee draped in the orange and blue of his beloved Knicks, Jack Nicholson with his arms and legs crossed court side at a Lakers game or Chris Farley scarfing down polish sausage in Chicago Bulls gear. A lesser known, but just as vibrant, super fan passed away last December 14 after complications from a fall. His name was Jeffrey Vanchiro, and he was as big a Nets fan as there’s ever been.

Jeffrey Vanchiro, better known as Jeffrey Gamblero, a nickname he earned while playing professional poker, was the heart and soul of the Brooklyn Nets fan base, a soon to be husband, and a venerable graffiti artist, spraying for the now legendary Smart Crew. “The word that best describes the Smart Crew is diversity,” explains Queens based hip-hop heavyweight and longtime friend of Vanchiro’s, Meyhem Lauren. “If you see a group of people walking down the block that look like they shouldn’t know each other, that’s probably the Smart Crew,” he said. The Smart Crew originated in 1997 when like-minded individuals came together to start a movement and used the streets as their creative outlet.

Shortly after, Vanchiro, already a deeply respected graffer, joined the crew spreading his positive creative energy to anyone he came in contact with. The unique ring of trust that graffiti artists share because of the constant concern of being discovered by the police created a brotherhood within the Smart Crew that has lasted almost 20 years. Vanchiro went by the tag name Korn, an homage to the 90’s Nu Metal band that he listened to heavily in his youth. He got into the graffiti scene after his mother gave him the groundbreaking book, Subway Art, when he was 10 years old. When he was around 16, he began etching his name into the windows of the old Green Line Buses and tagging anything he could reach. In the early 2000’s he accomplished perhaps his most impressive and risky piece on a building in Times Square. What made this piece so special was the fact that it could be seen every day on Total Request Live because the building was directly across the street from MTV Studios. The placement of the tag was calculated and only solidified his reputation for picking the hardest places in the city to create his art. “He could fit his bubble K in spots that others couldn’t,” said longtime friend and Smart Crew member Victor Ving. Twenty years later, Korn, or his signature bulbous K with sinister eyes tag can be seen sprayed on abandoned buildings in all five boroughs and in art galleries across the city.

Over time, the crew has expanded to some 50 members, hailing from across the United States and Europe, all of whom recall their late friend as a person who was a forward thinker and wanted to see everyone reach their potential and shine. “At a Nets game, if Jeff shook 500 hands, I shook 500 hands,” adds Meyhem. Vanchiro’s love for life and desire to see others enjoy themselves made people gravitate towards him. During Nets games, his boisterously colorful antics brought joy to the crowd and energy to the team. He would never be without his signature Gamblero Nets number 44 jersey, funky 8-bit styled Wayfarers, and an optimistic air that was impossible not to notice. At every home game, he could be seen on the Jumbotron trying to pump up his fellow fans. A game did not go by in which he wasn’t using the moves that he perfected from being a veteran of the New York City underground dance scene to liven up the crowd. He danced to bring happiness to others. All he cared about was putting a smile on another person’s face. It got to the point where kids would approach Vanchiro to take pictures with him and dance near him because they knew they would get some time on the Jumbotron.

All of the things he cherished in life came down to one common denominator, improvisation. Vanchiro adored the game of basketball because of its randomness and moments where players create a spectacular pass or shot from a broken down play. Basketball, dancing, graffiti and poker, are played through one’s soul and in order to excel at any of those things you must be able to work with what you are given and he understood that.

Vanchiro’s love for techno music and clubbing eventually introduced him to the love of his life, Kristi Evans. Kristi and Jeff met on the dance floor through a mutual friend. They danced throughout the night and both knew that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Later on, when Vanchiro revealed that he had a prosthetic leg, Evans was shocked; as were others when they found out, but that was simply his personality. He always made the best out of every situation. “He would take circumstances that were negative and turn them into something positive,” his heartbroken fiancé explains. “Adversity lead to his positive outlook.”

After recovering from the loss of his leg and working nonstop to regain the ability to walk, Vanchiro started to take graffiti more seriously and began to paint his feelings onto the city. He learned how to use his art as a way to vent his frustrations into something constructive and imaginative. “He saw the world as a beautiful place that he wanted to decorate,” Evans says.

Vanchiro’s pollyannaish nature is a major reason why he quit poker. He believed the game was too negative and since he’d already won a substantial amount of money in World Series of Poker-sanctioned tournaments and other events, he decided to focus his full attention on his art and fanhood.

When Vanchiro had a goal, he made it his main priority. Everything from learning how to walk again, dancing, graffiti, poker, being a fan, lover, son, father, and all around good person, he did not stop until he was the best at it. He wanted world peace and was certain that he could change the world by spreading positivity to every person that he met. Vanchiro was not always a Nets fan. Due to a few unpleasant encounters and over a decade of terrible front office moves, he decided to take the 3 train from Madison Square Garden to the Barclays Center and ditch the New York Knicks for the newly relocated Brooklyn Nets. He saw the move to Brooklyn as a way to wipe the slate clean and start over, but this time he went all in. Vanchiro and Evans became such a fixture at Nets games that Nets management flew them on the team plane when they played in London last season. The Nets won 127-110 and Vanchiro and Evans were then, unofficially, throned the king and queen of all Nets fans, a position he held dear to his heart until his untimely death.

Since Vanchiro’s sudden death, graffiti artists from all over the globe have been paying respect by tagging his signature, blown-out K on buildings in their respective cities. The hashtag #kornlives has flooded social media outlets with tributes to the late artist. Even the team he loved honored the late super fan by wearing warm-up shirts donning Vanchiro’s number 44 and Gamblero nickname, a video encapsulating his personality and magnetic aura, as well as a moment of silence to pay respect to the leader of the Nets fan base before the Miami Heat game on December 16. Additionally, Nets players took it upon themselves to place a picture of Vanchiro on the wall of their home locker room, only exemplifying the impact that he had on the team.

Vanchiro made it clear that although someone may die and are physically no longer in our day-to-day lives, energy is something that doesn’t have an expiration date. His positive outlook and overall love for life has been broadcasted into the universe and will continue to inspire those who are lucky enough to hear his story or see his art. Now the ball is in our court, to carry on his legacy and spread positive energy and acceptance of every kind of person today in hope for a better tomorrow. Korn lives in us all.

The Dunk Contest is the final and showcase event of All-Star Saturday night Feb. 14 at the Barclays Center in New York:

Antetokounmpo and Oladipo have emerged as the two most dynamic players from the 2013 draft class and separated themselves with their ability to play above the rim.

Antetokounmpo, known as the “Greek Freak,” is 6-foot-11 with long arms and massive hands, and has built a cult following for the Elastic Man quality to his dunks. Oladipo has been fast developing as a star for the Magic, and LaVine, 19, has a 44-inch vertical leap.

Plumlee high-jumped 6-8 in high school and was the runner-up in the McDonald’s High School All-American game dunk contest.

The average NBA team is reportedly worth $1.1 billion, representing a 74% jump from last year:

There are now 11 NBA teams worth at least $1 billion, by our count, compared to three a year ago. The Los Angeles Lakers lead the way at $2.6 billion, up 93% over last year. The Lakers finished with their second worst record in franchise history at 27-55 last season and are faring even worse this year, but the team has the richest local TV deal in the sport: a 20-year, $4 billion contract with Time Warner that kicked off in 2012. Ratings on SportsNet LA were off 54% last year, but the team still pocketed $125 million for the season from Time Warner. The team’s operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) was an NBA-record $104 million in a year when Kobe Bryant missed all but six games. The haul would have been even greater, but the Lakers were forced to contribute $50 million to the NBA’s revenue-sharing pool last season. The Lakers had the NBA’s highest revenue at $293 million, net of revenue sharing.

The value of the New York Knicks shot up 79% to $2.5 billion, ranking the team second overall (the Knicks edged out the Lakers last year). Ratings for Knicks games on MSG fell 29% as the team stumbled to a 37-45 record, but the team still drew the biggest TV audience in the NBA at 163,000 viewers per game on average. The Knicks’ income fell 45% last season after missing the playoffs and incurring a $36 million luxury tax bill.

Rounding out the top five are the Chicago Bulls ($2 billion), Boston Celtics ($1.7 billion) and Los Angeles Clippers ($1.6 billion).

The Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets began to gather traction on a three-way trade late Thursday afternoon, and planned to continue to discussions on Friday morning, league sources said. For the Nets, the biggest hurdle remained their willingness to take on combustible Charlotte guard Lance Stephenson, sources said.

Oklahoma City has been the most aggressive in its pursuit of Lopez, league sources said. Brooklyn has tried to find teams willing to move the expiring contract of Kendrick Perkins for an established player, sources said.

The Nets have delivered indications to teams they would like to settle on a trade by the weekend, league sources said. […] Denver has discussed a package centered on center JaVale McGee, but his consistent problems with injuries have discouraged the Nets’ interest, sources said. Miami raised the idea of a package including Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts, sources said. The Los Angeles Lakers have expressed interest too, sources said.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov retained Evercore Partners (EVR) to sell the National Basketball Association team he bought in 2010, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Prokhorov, 49, the first foreign owner of an NBA team, holds 80 percent of the club and 45 percent of the Barclays Center, its 2 1/2-year-old arena which next season will house hockey’s New York Islanders. Only the team is for sale, the people said.

Because of their home in the No. 1 U.S. media market, and the infrequency with which marquee franchises become available, the Nets might fetch more than the record $2 billion former Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer paid for the Los Angeles Clippers in a frenzied auction sparked by racist comments made by former owner Donald Sterling, valuations expert Peter Schwartz said. […] “The fever of a trophy asset goes beyond financial analysis — as we saw in Los Angeles,” Schwartz said.

KG is suspended for a game after receiving an ejection; he was punished for headbutting Dwight Howard in the first quarter of Houston’s 113-99 road win in Brooklyn.

Howard got hit with a $15K fine for slapping Garnett.

From the press release:

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett has been suspended one game without pay for initiating an altercation with Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard and headbutting him. Howard was fined $15,000 for pushing Garnett in the neck area. The penalties were announced Tuesday by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 7:53 remaining in the first quarter of the Rockets’ 113-99 win over the Nets on Monday, Jan. 12, at Barclays Center.

Garnett will serve his suspension on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when the Rockets play the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.

Garnett can likely expect a call from the League office sometime today.

Per Newsday:

The two became angry at each other during a brief altercation with 7:53 remaining in the quarter, with Garnett head-butting Howard and getting ejected. [...] But after James Harden’s 30 points and six assists helped the Rockets hand the Nets their season-high sixth straight loss, 113-99, Howard’s frown gave way to another expression — a devilish grin that would’ve made the Cheshire Cat jealous.

“Kevin’s a passionate player,” said Mason Plumlee, who led the Nets (16-22) with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10-for-11 shooting. “He’s always on edge and that’s what’s made him great. The whole thing to me was something out of nothing. But after that, it’d be good to come out and get a win … Those are the kind of games as a team you want to win, and we didn’t do that.”

“I don’t know,” Howard said when asked how the scuffle began. “It doesn’t matter. We won the game. That’s all that matters.” [...] But how did that head butt feel? [...] “I don’t know,” Howard said. “Maybe you should try MMA to see how it feels.”

Late in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s tilt between the Celtics and Nets in Brooklyn, Celtics forward Jae Crowder outhustled Brook Lopez for a loose ball and got his team an unexpected two points.

For whatever reason, he didn’t anticipate Boston forward Jae Crowder racing from behind. Crowder retrieved the ball, picked up a foul and buried two free throws, and Lopez could only tell his teammates, “My bad.”

On a night when Deron Williams barely got off the bench before aggravating an injury, Lopez managed just six points on 2-of-7 shooting, also in a reserve role. He was benched for the final 10 minutes, perhaps a new low in a season full of them. […] “I definitely disappointed myself,” Lopez said. “The effort was poor out there, and I let my teammates down.”

An MRI revealed the injury, and the Nets say there’s no timetable for Williams’ return to action.

From the press release:

Statement from Nets Medical Director Dr. Riley Williams III

“Deron reported some soreness above this area over the weekend and as a result underwent imaging studies on Monday, which were negative. Yesterday during the game he reported a new onset of symptoms below the prior area of soreness. New imaging studies done today demonstrated the fracture. There is no timetable for his return. He will be re-assessed in one week.”

Williams has appeared in 32 games (25 starts) this season, averaging 13.9 points, 6.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game. He ranks 14th in the NBA in assists per game.

When Nowitzki nailed a clutch 3-pointer with 34.8 seconds remaining in overtime at the Barclays Center, he zoomed by Moses Malone and into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 27,412 points. As a crowd of media types gathered around him in the Mavs’ locker room, Nowitzki reflected on what he’s been able to accomplish and how his family will view his monumental achievement.

“Like I always say, everything else will be great down the road once my career is over and I look back and see that I’m in the Top 10,” Nowitzki said. “That’s absolutely really insane. I can show that obviously to my kids and grandkids hopefully, one day. But as of now, like I said, I’m chasing wins more than anything.”

What Nowitzki has been able to achieve during his illustrious career has really impressed coach Rick Carlisle, who win an NBA title as a player in 1986 with the great Larry Bird. [...] “It’s another amazing accomplishment,” Carlisle said, referring to Nowitzki. “It’s an amazing guy that’s worked extremely hard in his career to do some unbelievable thing.”

Brooklyn Nets big man Kevin Garnett made a nice play late in third quarter Monday night against the visiting Sacramento Kings, chasing down a loose ball and finishing with a two-handed oop on the other end.

Following the 107-99 Nets win, reporters wouldn’t leave the 38-year old legend alone about his dunk, but KG doesn’t want any pity cheers when he throws down the rare jam nowadays.

Garnett says he may be a geezer, but he’s not in the ground yet.

Per The Record:

The noise reverberating through Barclays Center was the loudest of the night. Everyone on the Nets’ bench stood and laughed — a mixture of joy and disbelief.

“I know I’m like 150 years in dog years, but I can dunk the ball,” Garnett said. “Damn, do I look that bad out there? This is a low moment for me, Everyone is like, ‘Ooh, you dunked.’ … My daughter was like, ‘Daddy, you dunked!’

While (Roy) Hibbert found his way to react to the derision, West decided to match foolishness with a hearty shove to the chest. In the first quarter, cameras caught Kevin Garnett blowing in West’s face – and then promptly showed the Pacers veteran’s reaction that drew a technical foul.

“Yeah, I didn’t like that,” West said. “I just know it was too close and I didn’t like it. I don’t really play them games. We’re out there to play basketball so let’s play basketball. Everybody was kinda looking at what made me push him or whatever, (I) told ‘em, ‘he blew in my face.’”

Then, recognizing the absurdity of the Lance-like moment, West began to smile. [...] “An aggressive blow at that,” West described. “I think Lance’s was more sensual. That was an aggressive one.”

The rainy conditions caused a 30-minute delay in the first quarter, and when the action resumed, the Heat hung on for a 95-91 victory.

Per The Record:

“Tonight’s delay was caused by a water leak due to the installation of our new green roof,” a Nets spokesperson said in a statement. “We have taken all necessary steps to rectify the situation.”

The arena opened in September of 2012 at a cost of more than $1 billion. Plans were announced earlier this year to install the green roof, in the hopes the vegetation would make the arena more aesthetically pleasing and contain bass during concerts.

Trouble first emerged late in the first quarter, when arena staff began toweling down the area on the southwest side of the court across from the Nets’ bench. […] The game briefly continued, but with 1:47 remaining in the first quarter play was stopped with Miami leading 24-21. Television cameras clearly showed water leaking from the roof and onto the court. A large trash can, surrounded by towels, was placed on the court to keep the water from hitting the hardwood. Soon, an even bigger trash can was brought in, along with multiple mops and towels, while Nets general manager Billy King stood nearby talking on his cell phone and looking up at the roof.

After signing a three-year, $27 million deal last summer, Lance has averaged 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5 assists through 23 games.

Per Yahoo! Sports:

Stephenson becomes eligible to be traded on Monday, and Charlotte has rapidly lost hope that its brief partnership with Stephenson can stand the test of time.

Indiana hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing back Stephenson, but appears unwilling to seriously engage the Hornets without the inclusion of a first-round pick in a potential deal, sources said. […] So far, Charlotte has shown no inclination to package a future draft pick to move Stephenson, league executives said.

Charlotte coach Steve Clifford has largely stopped using Stephenson in the fourth quarter and key stretches of games. The gulf between Stephenson and his Charlotte teammates has been growing, league sources said. Stephenson’s inability to co-exist on the floor with point guard Kemba Walker is among the primary reasons for the franchise’s desire to trade him, sources said.

The Brooklyn Nets have reached agreement on a deal to unload forward Andrei Kirilenko onto the Philadelphia 76ers, sparing the franchise nearly $11 million in salary and luxury tax, league sources said.

The 76ers will send forward Brandon Davies to the Nets and acquire a 2020 second-round pick in the deal, as well as the right to swap second-round picks with Brooklyn in the 2018 draft. The Nets will likely include guard Jorge Gutierrez in the deal, a league source said.

Kirilenko has had a decorated NBA and international basketball career. He was an All-Star for the Utah Jazz in 2004 and made the first-team All-Defense team in 2006. In 12 NBA seasons, he’s played with the Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Nets.

Kirilenko, 33, is in the final year of a $3.3 million contract and would be waived in Philadelphia should the deal be completed, sources said. Kirilenko would become a free agent, but it could still be several weeks – even months – before he’s ready to sign a deal to play elsewhere this season, sources said.

The Nets would include a second-round pick to the 76ers in the deal, sources said. Team officials are still discussing who the Nets would take back in a trade – a player likely to be on a non-guaranteed contract. […] Kirilenko, who fell out of favor with Nets coach Lionel Hollins, is attending to a family matter in the New York area that could limit his willingness to travel until sometime in early 2015, sources said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers are among the contenders with needs at small forward who’ll wait to see if Kirilenko is interested in signing a free-agent deal upon clearing waivers. Kirilenko has history with Cavaliers coach David Blatt, who coached him on the Russian national team.

NEW YORK — The Brooklyn Nets have begun reaching out to teams to let them know that former All-Stars Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson are all available via trade, ESPN.com has learned.

League sources told ESPN.com that ‎the Nets, off to a disappointing 8-11 start and looking to retool after last season’s $190 million roster filled with veterans couldn’t advance beyond the second round of the playoffs, have ‎let it be known that they are prepared to move any of those franchise cornerstones in what would likely be separate deals if they came to fruition because of the high salaries each possess.

Sources say no trade is imminent involving any of the three players.

‎The exploratory discussions with various teams are the strongest indication yet that the Nets are looking to shake up their roster after a tumultuous 2013-14 campaign in which they started 10-21 under rookie coach Jason Kidd. But they did rally to reach the playoffs and beat the Toronto Raptors in a first-round series despite another season of ups and downs for Williams and the injury-plagued Lopez alongside Kevin Garnett and the since-departed Paul Pierce.

‎Yet sources insist that the Nets haven’t abandoned their recent “win-now mentality” and aren’t merely looking to dump salary. Brooklyn’s hope, sources said, is eventually to construct a deal or two that bring back sufficient talent that enables the Nets remain a playoff team.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver was sitting courtside Monday night in Brooklyn when members of the Nets and Cavs wore the shirts, and though he says that he’s all for the players expressing themselves, he gingerly let it be known that he’d prefer they stick to the regular on-court dress code.

“I respect Derrick Rose and all of our players for voicing their personal views on important issues, but my preference would be for players to abide by our on-court attire rules,” Silver said in an email Monday night.

Not every organization will be as supportive as the Cavaliers and the Nets. In James, Cleveland has the game’s biggest star. The Nets’ roster is filled with veterans and led by a supportive coach, Lionel Hollins. […] “They should be political,” Hollins said of his players. “They should be about social awareness. Basketball is just a small part of life. If they don’t think that there is justice, or they feel like there is something they should protest, then they should. That is their right as citizens of America, and I have no problem with that at all.”

(Jarrett) Jack described the players’ public stance as “almost like a civic duty,” adding, “We want people to know that we are not oblivious to what is going on around us.”

“I’m just happy that people paid attention to it,” Rose said. “I think it touched a lot of people because I grew up in an impoverished area like that. And sometimes (police brutality) happens. […] Usually I stay out of politics and police brutality. I’m not saying all cops are bad or anything. I’m just saying that what happened them days was uncalled for and I think it hurt a lot of people. It hurt the nation.”

“I saw it every day,” he said. “Not killing or anything, but I saw the violence every day and just seeing what can happen. If anything, I’m just trying to change the thoughts of the kids’ minds across the nation. I know what they’re thinking right now. I was one of them kids. […] When you live in an area like that and you don’t got any hope and police are treating you any way — I’m not saying all police are treating kids bad — but it gives you another reason to be bad. My biggest concern is the kids and making sure my son grows up in a safe environment.”

“That’s one of the reasons I wore the shirt. I’m a parent now,” he said. “Two years ago, I probably wouldn’t have worn the shirt. But now that I’m a dad, it changed my outlook on life, period. […] I don’t want my son growing up being scared of police or even have the thought in his mind that something like that could happen. I have a cousin, that easily could’ve been him or one of our relatives. It’s sad that people lost their lives.”

The shirt was in reference and in support for Eric Garner, an African-American man, who died last summer from being placed in a choke hold by New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo. Garner was being arrested for the selling of loose, untaxed cigarettes. A video recording shows that while Pantaleo was taking him down to the ground, Garner was gasping, yelling out, “I can’t breathe.” Last week a grand jury in Staten Island elected not to indict Pantaleo and it has caused a national outcry and protests.

“It’s spectacular,” James said. “I loved it. I’m looking for one.” When asked if he planned to wear the T-shirt before a game, James was coy, but hinted it could potentially happen. “It’s possible,” he said. “I’m looking for one. I think it was great.”

LeBron James said it will be a “huge honor” to play in front of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are planning to attend the Cavaliers’ game Monday in Brooklyn against the Nets. […] “The stuff that you read about, people like them, only in books, and to hear that they’re coming to town to see me play, they want to see me do what I do best, it’s a huge honor,” James said Sunday, before the Cavaliers’ practice at Baruch College in New York City.

As for head coach Lionel Hollins, he remains non-committal about taking AK47 out of his doghouse.

Per The Record:

Kirilenko wasn’t able to crack coach Lionel Hollins’ rotation. And at the beginning of his personal absence with the team, the Nets were reportedly shopping the 33-year-old for a trade. But Nets GM Billy King said that no move is in the works.

“He hasn’t been playing,” Nets general manager Billy King said. “And we had talked about possibly … moving him. Nothing is happening.”

On the possibility of Kirilenko getting back into the rotation, Hollins said only: “I don’t know. We’ll find out as we go forward.”

Noah was then asked if he tried to say anything to Garnett after it happened. […] “After he tried to bite me? Nah. I didn’t,” Noah said. “He tried to bite me man. I’m happy he didn’t connect. If somebody tries to bite you, I think it’s a little bit more than trying to get in your head. It’s pretty amazing.”

Kevin Garnett and the Brooklyn Nets won 99-91 in Philly Wednesday night, and KG says some noisy ladies sitting courtside helped get his motor running.

Garnett finished with nine points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes of action.

Per the NY Post:

After Kevin Garnett made a jumper with 32.9 seconds left to put the Nets up 93-89, he appeared to be yelling at the Sixers as he walked off the court, and then was moving his hands in a mouth opening-and-closing motion.

“I had some females there that kind of got me going, I appreciate them,” a still fired-up Garnett said. “I want to shout them out on the baseline. They was talking that [expletive].”

Asked what they said to get him going, Garnett said, “I’m not going to get into it. They put a little kick in my juice. I needed that. … I don’t know what you call it, but I got it going.”

“Look,” Garnett said when asked to elaborate on his choices. “Jordan was a great trash-talker. All three. I thought Gary Payton controlled the game with his trash-talking because he talked to the refs, talks to the fans. […] He was similar to Charles Barkley, but under control a little more,” Garnett added. “I don’t think, not as public. I don’t think — you know, Charles was a little [forward] at times, and [it] kind of carried him off the floor. Thought GP did a great job of just controlling the game with his trash-talking.”

“I think it really helped me to see what type of people I was dealing with, you know?” Kidd said. “To give me a fair chance to coach a team that had injuries, we make a big trade … But I think understanding that they did want to fire me in December, so it just shows what type of people I was dealing with.” Kidd said there was nothing so strange about him switching jobs and eventually being traded for a pair of second-round picks as compensation.

“The veteran guys I coached last year I had a great time with,” Kidd said. “Maybe not fulfilling our expectations of winning a championship. But we did come a long ways. We won a Game 7 on the road (in Toronto) and did a lot of good things. And it was a fun journey. Sometimes things don’t end the right way. Sometimes one side talks; the other side goes about its business. It happens. Coaches have been traded. I think Doc (Rivers) got traded from Boston. Was there a big deal made of Doc being traded? No, it’s just part of the business. We move on. Unfortunately one side hasn’t. But eventually both sides will move on.”

As for the New York media, Kidd had a question for the reporters surrounding him on all sides. […] “I didn’t promote myself for anything but to learn how to be a coach,” Kidd said of whether he tried to usurp Nets general manager Billy King. Billy is the GM; he’s put the Brooklyn Nets together. This is my second season. I had a very interesting first year as a coach. I thought it was kind of funny that you guys were marking down how many times I held the clipboard. Do you guys do that with (Lionel) Hollins? … Oh, good. Let me know how many times he holds the clipboard.”

Collins played for six teams during a 13-year career, set a lot of bruising picks, and posted career averages of 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Per The Players’ Tribune:

Today, I am retiring from the NBA after 13 seasons. Most people reading this probably don’t know me from SportsCenter. Most people know me as “the gay basketball player.” I have been an openly gay man for approximately three percent of my life. I have been a professional basketball player for almost half of it.

In order to understand why I am so lucky to be sitting here today as a person who is finally comfortable in his own skin, you need to understand how basketball saved me. I needed to live the past few years as an openly gay basketball player in order to be at peace retiring today. Why? It starts on a bus and ends on a plane.

“Hey Jason … Jason! How come we never see you with any women? Are you gay?” […] The team bus was uncomfortably silent. Everybody from the front of the bus to the back heard the question. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. In sports, guys bust each other’s balls all the time. I had been asked that question a few different times by teammates in my previous years in the league, but this time was different. Whenever guys would go out on the town on road trips, I always had a built-in excuse—a trip to a local casino or a visit to a family friend or a college buddy in that city who I had to go see. Sometimes those friends were real. Sometimes I made them up and would sit alone in the hotel watching TV while the guys went out to enjoy the nightlife.

Johnson blasted the Nets for selfish play a couple days following their 104-96 win Sunday against the visiting Orlando Magic.

Iso Joe wants the Nets to improve their ball-movement, especially against the NBA’s elite teams.

Per the NY Post:

“I just think guys kind of exhaust their options and then when there’s nothing else for them, then they’ll pass it when they have to,” Johnson said. “For the most part, we’ve been very selfish. 4-2, I mean, it’s pretty good, but I wouldn’t say it’s where we want to be right now against teams that aren’t playoff teams. […] Honestly, I have no idea how it changes.”

“I don’t really say much. If I’m speaking on something or saying something, then obviously it has to be something,” Johnson said. “So I’m not just talking for my health. I’m doing it or trying to do it for the betterment of the team. […] If I looked down the roster and saw that we didn’t have a championship-caliber team, then nah, I wouldn’t say nothing.”

“They’re grown men, and they’re entitled to their opinion. I don’t have to agree or disagree — I don’t care what they say,” head coach Lionel Hollins said. “I thought our ball movement was really good. I thought our offense was really good.”

The season’s first meeting between the Nets and Bucks will take place Nov. 19 in BK.

Per the Journal Sentinel:

“I’m no longer in Brooklyn,” Kidd said. “Unfortunately they keep talking about it. I don’t. I’ll let them keep talking.

“Now if it was me and him playing 1-on-1 on the court, that would be fine.”

Kidd said of the ongoing saga: “You would have to ask him (Prokhorov) why they keep talking about it.” […] Speaking about the game on Nov. 19, Kidd said: “It’s one of 82. I’m only worried about tonight (against Indiana). I’ve been in hostile environments as a player, as a coach. … I think it’s a part of the game. I think the one thing we can all learn from this is class.”

“My position is that I will not give up control of the team,” he said. “But you know, I am quite happy when somebody sending me a nice offer without taking my control of team. I think, for the time being, nothing is imminent, but still I think it’s not bad just to listen. […] We have a lot of proposals to buy minority shares but it’s my desire to just listen.”

“I think we did a very good deal, and it was a great investment in the Brooklyn brand,” he said about the trade for Garnett and Pierce. “So I think you know that for me it was very important to invest some money to make the team better, and to invest some money in Brooklyn Nets brand. Because as soon as we moved to New York, it was a great lift for us, from a business point of view, but of course you have to invest to be like the top teams of the NBA. But if you look on the market cap, I think my investment’s minimum five, six times now more than I spent. So I have a nice get.”

Despite Prokhorov’s gloating about the investment, the Nets lost $144 million last year in the basketball operations department – by far the most in the NBA. […] The Russian essentially laughed off the losses. […] “It’s not a big deal just because I personally compensated this money from my pocket and that’s why I will keep the structure for the time being,” he said.

And what about his plan to punish himself with marriage if the Nets fail to win a title this season? […] “Between me and you, I haven’t started researching for the new wife,” the bachelor said. “I stay committed to championship. And by the way, we have lost George Clooney. I think it’s enough for this year.”

“You know, I think there is a nice proverb in English: Don’t let the door hit you where the good lord split you,” Prokhorov said with a laugh.

Prokhorov didn’t deny that he was angry Monday — especially given the Nets had taken a chance on Kidd. […] “You know, I think it’s very philosophical question,” Prokhorov said. “I think we shouldn’t get mad, I think we should get even. And we’ll see it on the court.”

“Each side, we did what we thought was the best,” Prokhorov said of Kidd. “And I like what we have now, I think our structure is optimal. We have a very strong experienced coach, and a very strong GM Billy King. So for the time being we are just OK.”

Houston and Philly’s records remain each other’s opposites after last night’s game in the Wells Fargo Center. James Harden’s potent performance (35 points and 9 rebounds) paired with both Dwight Howard (11 points and 14 rebounds) and Trevor Ariza’s (24 points and 7 assists) solid numbers gave the visiting Rockets an edge over the hometown Sixers. Although Philadelphia remains winless in the season so far, last night’s match-up did result in some highlight-worthy plays—including this powerful block against Harden to end the third quarter, courtesy of rookie Nerlens Noel (10 points, 6 steals, 5 assists):

Nets 116 (2-1), Thunder 85 (1-3)

It’s safe to say the Oklahoma City Thunder really miss their stars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Right from the get-go, Brooklyn played a mean host with an extra boost from their own star in Brook Lopez (18 points and 6 rebounds) who finally made it back on the court following last season’s foot injury. He did this in his return with a little help from Kevin Garnett:

The Nets scored 32 points in the first quarter compared to the Thunder’s 19, and they only widened the gap from there. OKC’s Reggie Jackson (23 points, 5 assists, 7 turnovers) returned to the hardwood last night too, after missing the opening games of the season with a sprained ankle. But that simply wasn’t enough for this downsized Thunder team that only had nine players in their rotation.

Grizzlies 93 (4-0), Pelicans 81 (1-2)

Last night marked the 10th anniversary of the Grizzlies playing at the FedEx Forum, and the celebration was pretty sweet—a win that kept Memphis one of the three unbeaten teams in the League. Three Grizzlies starters recorded double-doubles on the night—Zach Randolph (15 points and 11 rebounds), Marc Gasol (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Tony Allen (12 points and 11 rebounds)—which accounted for Memphis’ 16th consecutive regular season home victory. The defensive-minded Grizz only allowed the Pelicans 81 points on 33.7% shooting, a stark downgrade from New Orleans’ average of 102.5 points on 42% over their first week of games. With the yellow and blue confetti raining from above, Memphians returned home happy.

Mavericks 118 (3-1), Celtics 113 (1-2)

A game that looked like it’d be a massive blowout ended up going down to the wire thanks to a #3QofDoom (usually experienced by last season’s Knicks) for the Mavs. Boston outscored Dallas 38-24 in the third quarter, cutting down a lead that was as great as 31 points. Boston’s Jeff Green (35 points) and Rajon Rondo (15 assists) recorded a couple game-highs, and Avery Bradley (32 points) set a new career-high for himself. With less than a minute left in the game, Monta Ellis (14 points and 6 assists) fouled Bradley as he attempted a three. He hit only two out of three to make it a 1-point game before Ellis responded back with a lay-in. Off a missed three from Green, Chandler Parsons (29 points) tried to obtain a board that led to an important jump ball—one he’d win—and the Mavs hung on to seal their third W in a row.

Kings 110 (3-1), Nuggets 105 (1-2)

With 13 lead changes, 17 ties and the biggest lead not extending beyond 7 points, this close game was a hard fought battle. Sacramento saw 40 of its points coming from the free-throw line, while Denver hit 28 from the stripe. Ty Lawson’s 12 assists on his birthday and seven other Nuggets scoring double figures weren’t enough to get Denver a second win this year. Instead, the Kings enjoyed the victory led by Darren Collison (21 points and 6 assists) and DeMarcus Cousins (19 points and 5 rebounds) to get off to their best start since the 2010-11 season.

Clippers 107 (3-1), Jazz 101 (1-3)

Two-time Sixth Man of the Year, Jamal Crawford (19 points and 5 assists), scored his 15,000th point in the Clippers’ win over the Jazz last night. He and the rest of the L.A. squad—most notably Blake Griffin (31 points and 9 rebounds) and Chris Paul (13 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds) with his first triple-double as a Clipper—handled Utah quite well to snag their third win of the season. The Jazz acquired their third loss of the season, despite solid performances from Gordon Hayward (27 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) and Enes Kanter (17 points and 9 rebounds). They’ll have to search for their second victory elsewhere.

Having kept everyone guessing about his health status for the season opener, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was in the starting lineup Wednesday night, and played well in the 121-105 win against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.

Rondo rode the subway to the game with fellow C’s fans, and after registering 13 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds, he playfully chided the local media for blowing his cover.

Per the Boston Globe:

The Orange Line makes a stop at North Station, which is also the home of the TD Garden, where the Celtics play. Before the game, a reporter inquired to Rondo about his travel habits to the Celtics opener. At first, the point guard wasn’t exactly forthcoming, but Rondo changed his tune when presented with the evidence.

Reporter: Did you ride the T to the game?

Rondo: “No”.

Reporter: There was a picture of you on the T.

Rondo: “Oh, is that right? Then why did you ask me that question? You are giving away my transportation to the game man!”

“I started out the year, I couldn’t practice,” Williams said. “I came in, and guys were practicing together, had been through training camp together, and I was in the back, working in the pool. […] I didn’t have a good grasp on things so it was hard to explain something when I don’t know what’s going on. When you’re not out there, when you’re not practicing every day, it’s hard to tell somebody what to do when they’re out there busting their [rear end] and you’re in the back.”

“I used to step on the court and feel like I was the best player no matter who I played against,” Williams said. “So I gotta get back to that.” […] “I already got it back,” Williams said. “It’s confidence, man. It’s hard to play basketball when you can hardly walk. It’s just tough to do.”

“I talked to [Nets backup point guard] Jarrett [Jack]. He had surgery his rookie year and he said it took three years before it felt like he was all the way back. I feel night and day better than last year. If this is the best my ankle ever got, then I’d be happy, because it’s 300 times better than it was last year.”

Reportedly, some dancers make roughly between $25- to-$28 an hour for twice-weekly practices, and $175 per game.

Teams don’t cover the dancers for health insurance.

Per the NY Post:

Cheerleaders — or dancers as they are called — for the Knicks and for the Brooklyn Nets will pull in $200 or less a game and receive no health insurance coverage from their teams. […] “There is no way to live off that money,” Cherielee Passalaqua, a former New Jersey Nets hype team member who now cheers for the NBA, said.

“You’re choosing to put on those shorts where you’re bottom’s hanging out, and a push-up bra, and that makeup,” she said. “You’re there because you love to dance.”

Pay for cheerleaders across professional sports has become a hot-button issue this year as dancers for National Football League teams have filed lawsuits against their employers alleging grueling conditions and sub-minimum wage pay. […] The Oakland Raiders’ cheerleaders won a $1.25 million wage theft lawsuit against the team last month after claiming they were paid as little as $5 an hour and were fined for forgetting their pom-poms.

The venue ranks as the most popular arena in the country, based on ticket sales for concerts in the first six months of the year, according to Pollstar. And beginning next year, in addition to the Brooklyn Nets, it will be home to the NHL’s New York Islanders.

Indeed, if one of those two teams’ owners does not buy the arena — the Nets’ controlling owners hold the other 45 percent stake of the building — the structure would join a select list of venues in sports: an arena hosting two professional sports teams, but all three entities having separate ownership.

Barclays Center opened in 2012 and in 2013 it was named Sports Facility of the Year at the Sports Business Awards. The arena has more than $30 million in annual cash flow, investment banking sources said, adding that such an amount would translate to a top valuation of $750 million for the arena.

“Did I want to be traded?” said Kidd, whose Bucks play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday. “I think once [the Nets] OK’d the talk to Milwaukee, that just showed, whatever you want to call it, rumors or no rumors that they wanted to fire me in December had to have some legs.”

Kidd denied seeking additional power. […] “No, I don’t need any power,” Kidd said. “My [job] is to learn how to be a coach and be the best coach that I can be.”

Pierce told NBA.com that the Nets did not make him a contract offer because the team “wanted to cut costs, they felt like they weren’t going to be a contender.” […] “I believe it,” Kidd said when asked about Pierce’s comments about not being offered a contract. “I mean, if they don’t offer [Pierce] a contract worth what a first-round pick is, then why did we do the deal [last year for Pierce and Garnett]?”

The big fella suffered a mild sprain of his right foot Wednesday night, in a preseason game versus the Sacramento Kings.

Lopez will be sidelined for roughly a couple of weeks.

From the press release:

Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez sustained a mild right midfoot sprain in the first quarter of the Nets’ preseason contest against Sacramento on October 15th, Nets General Manager Billy King has announced.

Statement from Nets Medical Director Dr. Riley Williams III: “Brook Lopez experienced right foot soreness after being stepped on during the pre-season game against the Kings Wednesday night. X-ray and CT scan studies done Thursday in New York reveal no fractures or bone injuries. Brook has been diagnosed with a mild midfoot sprain and is likely to be out for approximately 10-14 days.”

Four minutes will be shaved off the usual 48 when the Brooklyn Nets host the Boston Celtics Sunday, Oct.19.

The NBA is test-driving the idea of a shorter game – for years now, people have complained about the length of these games (though, television appears to be the main culprit, not the game clock.)

From the press release:

“At our recent coaches’ meeting, we had a discussion about the length of our games, and it was suggested that we consider experimenting with a shorter format,” said NBA President, Basketball Operations Rod Thorn. “After consulting with our Competition Committee, we agreed to allow the Nets and Celtics to play a 44-minute preseason game in order to give us some preliminary data that will help us to further analyze game-time lengths.”

Application of the experimental 44-minute game will involve quarters being reduced from their typical 12 minutes each to 11 and a reduction in mandatory timeouts in the second and fourth quarters. During this 44-minute game, each quarter will feature two mandatory timeouts per quarter, with the first triggered at the first dead ball under 6:59 of the period if neither team has taken a timeout prior, and the second mandatory timeout will be triggered by the first dead ball under 2:59 if neither team has taken a timeout subsequent to the first mandatory timeout. In the NBA’s 48-minute game, the second and fourth quarters have three mandatory timeouts.

“I think it’s going in pretty much the same direction as it was last time (lockout of 2011),” said Deron Williams, who is Brooklyn’s union rep. “So I feel like we made a lot of concessions last time, and it’s going to be hard for us to do that again. With the new leadership we have and (former NBAPA president Billy Hunter) finally being out of the picture, which is a great thing, hopefully things will go better for us.”

“I hope guys are preparing (for a work stoppage),” said Williams, who played overseas during the 2011 lockout — a stoppage into December that cut 16 games off the NBA season. “When I first got in the league (in 2005), it’s when the old collective bargaining agreement was just kicking in. And as soon as I got in the league, they were already telling us to prepare for the next lockout. And it was ingrained in my mind. And I was prepared for that. I didn’t know that everybody did.

“We’ll be better prepared this time, we’ll be more ready to take different actions if need be.”

The newest Wizard thinks he can help push the young squad possibly into the championship round.

Pierce left the Brooklyn Nets after just one season, and says they’re now in cost-cutting mode.

Per NBA.com:

Was Washington your first choice? I heard all summer you wanted to go home to L.A., to the Clippers.

Paul Pierce: “Obviously, this is my first time in free agency. I really didn’t know where I was going to end up. Truthfully, I thought I was going to end up back in Brooklyn, with Kevin [Garnett]. I told Kevin, if you’re not going to retire, then I probably will come back. But when Brooklyn didn’t give me an offer, it was like, I talked to him, and I kind of started looking at my options then. I thought I probably would end up with the Clippers with Doc [Rivers], but they wound up signing Spencer Hawes [and using the full mid-level exception] at the time. That’s when Sam Cassell gave me a call, shortly after Trevor Ariza signed with Houston. That kind of happened so fast. He signed, and Sam called me, and [asked] what I thought. We both were in Vegas at the time, talking on the phone. Then met him for lunch. Then met him again for dinner. It took some convincing, because I never really thought about Washington. It just wasn’t on my radar. But I started thinking about it, and everything he was telling me, based on what they did last year, the guys they have here, he talked about the culture, he talked about Coach [Randy Wittman], Ernie [Grunfeld, the GM], talked to him. And I started warming up to the idea. Pretty much that same day we talked, I started warming up. This team does have some potential, now that I think about it. They probably should have beat Indiana. Everybody thought they should have beat Indiana. I was like, they have one of the best backcourts in basketball. They’re lacking experience, a guy in the locker room and on the court that can help end games. I was like, I probably can fit in. After LeBron said he was going back to Cleveland, the dynamics of the Eastern Conference, with Indiana, I was like, this is a team that could be in the Eastern Conference finals, or possibly the Finals, based on what’s here. And adding me to some of the other veterans they added, I was like, why not?”

Were you surprised that Brooklyn didn’t try harder to move you to the Clippers with a sign-and-trade, since that was the only way the Clippers could get you after they signed Hawes?

PP: “You know what, I didn’t know what to expect. Brooklyn’s been, or New Jersey, Brooklyn, they’re a franchise that’s going in a different direction, I think. They said they wanted to cut costs, they felt like they weren’t going to be a contender. Right now, they’re kind of in the middle right now. And I really didn’t want to be in the middle. I didn’t know if they wanted to do a sign-and-trade. I had to make my own destiny. I couldn’t put it in the faith of somebody else. And that’s when I was like, I’m coming here.”

“Making Brook a better basketball player is a priority,” Hollins said. “Being tougher, being more aggressive, thinking that every time the play is for him [to score], but also being a guy that’s passing the ball to his open teammates. It’s not just Brook, it’s everybody. When I see a guy has a chance to pass to an open teammate for an easier shot, I try to point that out.”

“Just being more aggressive, being tougher, rebounding better. Just being a force in the paint,” Hollins said. “When you’re 7 feet, weigh 260, I’d like for him to be a force. I’d like all of our big guys to play tougher, more aggressive . . . Be an inside player. If you’re an inside player or a big guy, control the paint, play outside last. Don’t play outside and never get into the paint.”

“I think Brook has got to learn to use his strength, his size to his advantage,” [Deron] Williams said. “I don’t think [Hollins] is saying, ‘Brook never shoot a jumper,’ because that would be taking away something that Brook’s really good at. But I think he wants Brook to establish himself as a low-post presence, and I think we as a team need that. That’s something we kind of missed last year.”

According to multiple published reports, Prokhorov and Guggenheim Sports and Entertainment Assets (owners of the LA Dodgers) have had ongoing discussions about a potential sale of the Russian’s majority stake in the franchise.

The high-spending Nets reportedly lost $144 million in basketball-related business last season — $131 million more than the next highest team. In 2014-‘15, Brooklyn could be on the hook for about $130 million in luxury taxes and payroll.

Per Nets Daily and ESPN:

In the discussions, the team is being valued at $1.7 billion and the arena at $1.1 billion, said multiple sources. There is no agreement yet, nor a deadline for a conclusion of the discussions. The next step would be an agreement in principle followed by a closing. The combined assets of a new entity could be as high as $8 billion.

The first source emphasized that Prokhorov would continue to control the team as “governor and controlling owner” of the team “for the foreseeable future.” Prokhorov currently owns 80 percent of the team and 45 percent of the arena, with [Brett] Ratner’s Nets Sports & Entertainment owning the remaining share of the team and the majority share in the arena. Presumably, in a combined entity, both Prokhorov and Ratner’s shares would be reduced, but still be controlling.

Dodgers Chairman and Guggenheim CEO Mark Walter said: “I am the controlling owner of the Dodgers and I have no intention of selling the Dodgers or moving them into a new ownership group.” […] Walter acknowledged that he had not seen the Nets financials but “they are a terrific franchise and I would be happy to look at their information and any proposal anyone wanted to make to me — as I would with any proposal.”

After losing a tough, five-game Playoff series against the Miami Heat last May, Kevin Garnett once again thought about walking away from the game.

Of course, just a month later, the 38-year old future Hall of Famer was back in the gym, sweating away any doubts about returning for his 20th NBA season.

KG says he’s looking forward to playing an enhanced role under new Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins. Per The Record:

“These last three years, I must admit,” Garnett said. “I’ve thought about life and where basketball is as far as the priority.”

”It’s not like 50-50, I’m in the middle of the road or gray area,” Garnett said. “I’m a person that when you commit to something, you commit to it. It’s that simple.”

“I like to come in each year and assess it,” Garnett said. “I’ve always said the days when I’m not feeling basketball again, which is absurd, or when I don’t have the motivation to come in here, it’s time to move on. But that’s not the case. I’m very much motivated. I’m looking to have a better year than last year and I’m looking to enjoy this year.”

Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams has admitted to occasionally losing his confidence when he struggles on the court, something Kobe Bryant likely can’t even fathom. Bryant, after watching Williams

Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams has admitted to occasionally losing his confidence when he struggles on the court, something Kobe Bryant likely can’t even fathom.

Bryant, after watching Williams go scoreless in a Playoff game against the Miami Heat last season, told SI that Deron should’ve kept gunning until he found the bottom of the net. Williams disagrees with this approach. Per The Record:

In the article, Bryant said Williams “psyched himself out” in that game, and that Bryant would “go 0-for-30 before I go 0-for-9. 0-for-9 means you beat yourself … because Deron Williams can get more shots in a game. The only reason is you’ve just now lost confidence in yourself.”

“I’m a point guard,” Williams said. “If I’m 0-for-[bleeping]-9, I’m not shooting 20 more shots. Not going to happen. I’m a point guard. I’m going to find somebody else. Kobe Bryant, that’s what he’s supposed to do. He’s got that mentality, that works for him. I got my mentality, it works for me.”

New coach Lionel Hollins feels the same way as Williams. Hollins said he would have “a problem” with a player hoisting up shot after shot just because they believe in themselves. […] “I already told him,” Hollins said. “We’re never going to go 3-for-23. … We’re going to try to do something else. I understand Kobe and all those guys, ‘I’m going to do this, the next shot is going in.’ That’s great confidence but it doesn’t matter if you don’t make the next shot.”

Things turned ugly last season between Frank and former Nets head coach Jason Kidd, as the former was taken off the bench and “re-assigned”.

Frank, the highest paid assistant coach in the NBA in 2013-’14, has negotiated a buyout with the Nets and will join Doc Rivers’ staff in LA. Per the NY Post and Orange County Register:

Frank is expected to head to the Clippers, where he’ll work under Doc Rivers – whom he was an assistant for in Boston after being let go as head coach of the Nets. Frank will work alongside former Knicks head coach Mike Woodson, who also is joining Rivers’ staff as an assistant.

Frank signed a six-year deal worth roughly $6 million with the Nets last summer to come back to the franchise that he’s second in all-time wins and games coached after a sustained public campaign by then coach Jason Kidd to make Frank his lead assistant.

The partnership quickly imploded, as Kidd stunned everyone by walking into a press conference in early December and announcing Frank had been “re-assigned” to writing daily reports, and wouldn’t be spending any more time around the team. Lionel Hollins declined to add Frank to his staff after replacing Kidd following his stunning departure to Milwaukee.

Perhaps it was a certain adopted irony that compelled new Brooklyn resident Kevin Garnett last season to give Joe Johnson his most catchy nickname to date: “Joe Jesus.” Yes, when his teammates need him to, Johnson comes through more often than not. In the last 15 years, few players have been better at shooting with 10 or less seconds left on the game clock.

But whereas the actual Jesus has first-team All-Religious Figure status on perennial lockdown, Joe Johnson has made All-NBA only once in his 13 seasons. And it was a Third Team selection at that. Jesus, it’s said, was able to walk on water and raise the dead. Joe, we now know, is no Savior. He doesn’t perform real miracles. He causes jaws to drop, oh, maybe once every half a decade:

If you’re going to pass out the “Jesus” nickname, and do it in a non-Shuttleworth way, give it to someone who consistently does amazing things like Kobe Bryant. It’s Bryant, after all, about whom there is so much anticipation of a glorious return. He’s the one who inspires passion in millions of fanatics. Johnson, by contrast, is a “professional shot-maker who’s always been just this side of great and who, despite the All-Star berths and max money, never moved (or even really nudged) the needle for the lion’s share of NBA fans,” as Yahoo’s Daniel Devine wrote.

Fanatics simply don’t congregate in Johnson’s name (unless you count this guy.) The 6-7 shooting guard isn’t the singular talent Kobe is, or—for that matter—LeBron, KD or Rose are. But that shouldn’t diminish what an accomplishment it is that Johnson has become the Brooklyn Nets’ best player the last two years. While injuries have sidelined or hampered younger stars like Brook Lopez and Deron Williams, Johnson has developed into the silent leader of one of the East’s top teams.

Last season, after the All-Star break, he averaged 17 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists while shooting 48 percent from the field overall, 42 percent on threes and 83 percent from the free-throw line. In 12 playoff games, Johnson raised his efficiency even more: to 21.2 points and 53 percent from the field. For a star wing player to have his best postseason at the age of 32, after already playing in eight postseasons, might be unprecedented.

As disappointing as Brooklyn has been relative to the fortunes sunk into its roster, it would be much worse had Johnson not in the first round of last year’s Playoffs led his Nets to a Game 7 win at Toronto. Joe was pure bitcoin in the fourth, uploading half of his team-high 26 points including 11 straight Nets points in a four-minute span. In the next series, the Nets fell to the Heat in five games, with Johnson at times struggling in one-on-one matchups with LeBron James. Yet it’s Deron Williams who deserves more blame for the team’s inability to make that series more competitive. On more than one occasion, the once-superstar point guard deferred to teammates in the waning minutes of fourth quarters instead of trying to break down the defense and drive to the basket himself.

At times, it seems like steady offense from Johnson may be the only sure thing Brooklyn has coming over from last season. Head coach Jason Kidd’s out; Lionel Hollins is in. Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston are out; Bogan Bogdanovic and Jarrett Jack are in. With expanded roles for Mirza Teletovic, Mason Plumlee and Kevin Garnett, and more significantly the return of a healthy Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, don’t expect Johnson to shoot as much in 2014-15. Expect Johnson’s minutes and points to wane as others take the burden off his shoulders.

If needed, though, they know where to go in the clutch. It could be at the top of the key, from where Johnson has the step-back three or drive and floater at his disposal. Then again, perhaps it will be in the post, where at 240 pounds he is simply too big for 99 percent of the NBA’s shooting guards to handle (Exhibit A: DeMar Derozan). Twelve feet away from the net, back turned to basket and ball in hand, Johnson goes to work like few other shooting guards this side of Bryant—as comfortable as a seasoned carpenter at his lathe.

Early in his career, D-Will spent four straight years in the thick of the Best PG argument, and was flipped to New Jersey in the midst of a fifth such season. In his first full campaign with the Nets, Williams’ numbers stayed strong while the team won just a third of its games. The following season was a forgettable throwaway for the Nets and Williams. As was the next one. And now here we are.

Williams’ 2013-14 regular season was by a wide margin his worst in the League. His points and field-goal percentage had him right on par with Avery Bradley, Alec Burks and Rodney Stuckey. His assist totals sandwiched him between Jameer Nelson and Raymond Felton, and his assist-to-turnover ratio was the worst among the three.

Brooklyn wedged its way into a second-round matchup with Miami in May, offering a prime chance for Williams to step up against top-shelf competition. But the 30-year-old played a mediocre series, lowlighteded by a goose egg in a Game 2 loss (in which Mirza Teletovic’s heroics had the Nets within a bucket with seven minutes left).

The Nets were without Brook Lopez in that series, but Williams’ supporting cast was actually pretty strong. For all of GM Billy King’s misfirings, he’s done a nice job operating on the fringe of the free-agent market over the past few summers—Shaun Livingston, Andray Blatche, Andrei Kirilenko, Alan Anderson and Teletovic made about $10 million in total last season and the group’s versatility was crucial during the Nets’ mid-season turnaround. Joe Johnson averaged 20 points per game while shooting nearly 55 percent in that series against Miami. Brooklyn was able to hang in there against the Heat, but needed a strong series from Williams and got the opposite.

And it’s all a shame, really, because we’re still teased with glimpses of the old, electric Williams. Occasionally he’ll get a special pep in his step, start hopping around while surveying the defense, and either pop back for an 18-footer or find a cutting teammate with a right-handed laser. We all love that Williams, and maybe he’s got plenty of those plays left in the tank. And maybe Williams’ ankles have been robbing him of his athleticism more than anyone will give him credit for.

“[Before the surgery], I was just walking around and my ankles would swell up… Any time that happens, that’s bad.”

“[Now] they feel good. I’ve been working out hard every day, getting ready to go.”

“Last year was tough… I missed all of training camp, most of the preseason. … I practiced one time, played nine minutes in a pre-season game and was thrown into the fire at 60 or 70 percent.”

“It’s definitely different this year, and I think it’s great. I’ll be able to participate in training camp. I’ll be practicing with the guys right now, and I’m able to play with the guys before training camp, which is great.”

There’s finally some positive mojo surrounding these Nets. They had a quiet offseason by their standards—though not a great one—essentially swapping out Paul Pierce, Marcus Thornton, Livingston and Blatche for Jarrett Jack and Bojan Bogdanovic, who they drafted in 2011. There figures to be stability in an experienced coaching staff, Lopez is coming back from a broken foot (again) and Mason Plumlee should make a considerable leap in his second year.

It just feels normal, a rarity for this team. Something about the Brooklyn Nets has always felt forced and fabricated. We were told they’d be good and exciting, told the League should be afraid of them, told Williams was a star. But we’ve only seen that stuff in flashes.

A year from now, the Nets will either be a bunch of dudes playing on expiring contracts or a solidified group of veterans that has meshed around a consistent core. We’re entering a season-long tipping point for Brooklyn and its point guard. Let’s see which version of Williams shows up.

For the first time in at least two years, Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams will start the season without having to worry about his troublesome ankles. D-Will says his two wheels are feeling better than ever.

Williams, speaking to reporters Monday at his annual charity dodge ball event, sounded optimistic about the upcoming campaign in BK. Per the NY Times:

In May, Williams had a bone chip removed from his right ankle and underwent an arthroscopy to remove spurs from the front and back of his left ankle. Williams laughed and paused for a second when asked if he felt that much of a difference now. […] “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah.”

“I practiced one time, played nine minutes in a preseason game and was thrown into the fire at 60 or 70 percent,” Williams said of the 2013-14 season. “It’s definitely different this year, and I think it’s great.”

Williams, 30, is hoping the operations are the answer to the ankle issues that have plagued him the past couple of seasons. At times last season, he said, simply walking would cause his ankles to swell. […] “Anytime you can’t walk, you can’t run, you can’t jump, it’s hard to play basketball, especially in this league,” Williams said. “The only thing I wish is that I would’ve gotten surgery earlier.”

New Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins expects Kevin Garnett to return for his 20th season and final year of his contract. Hollins can’t imagine KG not starting, or playing limited minutes (as was the case under Jason Kidd last season.)

“There is nobody in the gym that I would put in his place,” Hollins said. “He has earned the right to have that opportunity, to be the starter from Day 1. Somebody has got to knock him out. … It’s got to be like a heavyweight fight. I don’t see that really happening, but if it happens then I will deal with that decision when it comes. But I think when we start playing, [Garnett] will be the starting power forward.”

“I didn’t even ask him,” Hollins said (about Garnett potentially retiring.) “You’re either here, or you are not here. Because if he decided to return and you say, ‘How close was it for him to come back?’ It doesn’t really matter. You’re pregnant or you’re not pregnant,” Hollins continued with a laugh. “He looks good, he looks in great shape, he’s shooting the ball extremely well … he is working. I would assume that if he decided to come back and if in fact it is his last year, he would want to make it his best.”

“If he’s healthy and producing, he’s going to play,” Hollins said. “How many minutes? I don’t know. But he is not going to play 15 or 16 minutes [per game]. I can guarantee you that. If he is playing and starting, he’s going to be out there.”

A friend of the Kirilenkos drove past their house in the Federal Heights neighborhood and noticed the garage doors were open. Per the Deseret News:

“I can’t say it is a pleasant feeling. It definitely is a little bit uncomfortable,” Kirilenko’s wife Masha Lopatova said.

She believes the burglars were likely “young and amateur” because a collection of Marvel action heroes was also taken, but more valuable artwork was left behind. [...] “It was time for a cleanup anyway. They kind of helped us,” she quipped. “It’s definitely not a very pleasant thing when someone does this without permission. They should have asked. We would have given it to them.”

Lopatova noted that the burglary is a bit ironic because “Utah has a reputation of being the safest place on Earth, and you never think something like this can happen in Utah. We never locked the doors in 10 years (when we lived there) and nothing ever has been stolen. The time we locked the doors and we weren’t home, someone breaks in.” [...] “It can happen everywhere, even in safest place on Earth,” she said. “Truly (Utah) is the safest place on Earth.”

“Yeah, Tribeca is a great area” Williams reflects, “Mr. Chow, Nobu… an endless number of great restaurants, night life and young families. It’s quieter than Soho where I stayed the first year.”

“I’m not going to lie. I don’t really feel so much like a New Yorker. I grew up in an apartment in Texas where you could send your kids outside like ‘yeah, go play in the sun.’ Here it’s more challenging. The process of getting them into school is a nightmare. Even private schools where you pay are an ordeal. In Utah, you just send your kids to the first public school in the area because they’re all great. Truth is, we enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle and going back to Utah every summer. It’s a relief to take that timeout. No traffic. No crowds. My daughters still have their friends there. There’s a big backyard. They go to the pool; the playground and they jump on the trampoline. Kids running wild and free here…? I don’t think so.”

“What constitutes a New Yorker?” Williams asks. “Taking the subway … which, by the way, I love to take. Yes, of course I have a chauffeured car but the subway is way faster. Second thing is the New York/Brooklyn accent – which I don’t have.” […] “Third thing is New Yorkers are tough. Or at least they think they are.”

Brook Lopez is the latest to get lighter on this feet, as he looks to have a big season. (The Brooklyn Nets center weighed 290 pounds at training camp last year.) Per the NY Post:

“I’m at my playing weight,” Lopez said with a laugh. “I can attribute that to laying in bed for months, but I’m back to the weight that’s normal for me. Last I checked, I was just under 275 [pounds].”

The Nets center said last year’s bigger frame had nothing to do with the fractured fifth metatarsal he suffered in Philadelphia on Dec. 20. […] “I may have been five pounds heavier, but that’s not what injured me,” he said.

“It was great,” Lopez said (after being cleared to start running again). “I was exhausted, but it felt good, and it continues to get [easier].… I feel like I’m in better shape, but the trainers are still pushing me, as well. “I feel like I still have to get more power under my legs in general. I’m not worried about my feet. It’s getting the power back in my lower legs I lost when I had to lie around.”

Second round pick Markel Brown fractured his right hand during a workout Monday — the Brooklyn Nets announced that Brown will be out for the next 4-6 weeks. From the press release:

Brooklyn Nets guard Markel Brown has been diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the fourth metacarpal in his right hand, General Manager Billy King announced today. Brown, who was injured while working out in Las Vegas earlier today, had his hand placed in a cast and will be held out of basketball activities for a period of 4-6 weeks.

Brown, the 44th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night in exchange for cash considerations. He recently completed his senior season at Oklahoma State, averaging 17.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 35.3 minutes per game and earning All-Big 12 Second Team honors for the second consecutive season. During his junior season, Brown averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 34.1 minutes per game.

Nets center Mason Plumlee said he wants to start for Brooklyn next season. It’s a noble aspiration, but with a healthy Brook Lopez back in the lineup, it’s not a very realistic one. From ESPN.com:

Second-year big man Mason Plumlee, currently vying for a spot on Team USA’s World Cup roster, said he would welcome the chance to start for the Brooklyn Nets next season. “Oh yeah,” Plumlee replied. “What player doesn’t wanna start?”

Good point.

Plumlee started 19 consecutive games as a rookie from March 1 to April 4, averaging 7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 21.1 minutes. He shot 64.7 percent from the field over that span.

With Brook Lopez coming off foot/ankle surgery and Kevin Garnett likely returning for his 20th season, it seems Plumlee will certainly have a significant role in 2014-15 — whether he’s starting or not.

“No,” Plumlee responded, when asked if he’s aware of what his role will be, “but [the coaches] are working on it. They were out [there], they watched every [USA] practice out in [Las] Vegas, the whole staff was out there. They’re on the job, so if I don’t know, I’ll know soon.

It’s been an up-and-down battle over the last few seasons for Brook Lopez as he’s struggled with various foot injuries. The latest wiped him out for the season in mid-December. He’s on the comeback trail, though, and seems to be progressing well. From NetsDaily:

“It’s great,” he told a reporter for RBC, Mikhail Prokhorov’s business TV channel. “I was fully cleared for play and everything a week and a half ago. It’s great. Now its time to get back in shape.”

In an interview with SovSport, a Russian national daily sports newspaper, Kirilenko said Kidd’s decision to move on from his job as head coach of the Nets to take the same position with the Bucks was an “unequal exchange,” and seemed to wonder whether or not Kidd wanted to deal with the microscope that comes with working in New York City.

“The pressure is huge,” Kirilenko said, according to a Google translation of the interview. “And Kidd couldn’t handle it … or maybe he didn’t want to.”

This isn’t the first time a Kirilenko has criticized Kidd over the last year. After the versatile forward was left on the bench for all of the Nets’ victory in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Raptors this spring, his wife Masha took to Instagram to post a picture of her husband sitting on the bench with the caption, “… And are you Kidding like Jason,” which appeared to be a reference to Nelly’s song, “Hot in Herre,” which includes the line, “I’m just kiddin’ like Jason.”

“I believe all he possibilities for being a champion are in place,” Hollins said. “And we just have to do our job to make it a reality, as both players and coaches. Then, we can all celebrate together.” […] At another point in the conversation, Hollins said the Nets have merely the “possibility of being a good team,” adding, “You know, everyone you talk to, you go to restaurants and they’re ‘Aw, you know you got a challenge there. They’re old.’ But I see a team that really has some youth and has a nucleus outside of KG, outside of Paul Pierce, as we go forward, they develop. Deron Williams is 29 (actually 30) and in the prime of his life; Brook is young and Joe Johnson is in the prime of his game. Then, we have some younger players. who’ve come on board.”

[He said he wants the team "to add some toughness, add some discipline and by discipline I don’t mean fining someone for being late, but discipline for doing the right thing on the court, be where you're supposed to be, make the rotation, be in the right spot on defense, make the right passes, those type of things. That is discipline!"]

“I’m pretty comfortable with New York. I just never thought I’d be living here … especially after being 12 years in Memphis,” he said smiling, adding, “Memphis is like, compared to New York, it’s back in the stone age when you didn’t have electricity or something. That’s not a knock on Memphis, just a contrast in how developed and how unbelievably electric New York is versus Memphis. People are laid back, they move slow, they talk slow, drag their words out. Here everybody talks too fast.”

In a cap-clearing move to make room for a potential LeBron James max contract, Cleveland has reportedly agreed to trade Jarrett Jack to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team deal with the Boston Celtics. Per ESPN:

The Cleveland Cavaliers will trade Jarrett Jack to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday as part of a three-team deal with Boston to create more salary-cap space for the pursuit of LeBron James, according to sources close to the process.

Trade can't be completed until Thursday, but Cavs on brink of shedding contracts of Jarrett Jack, Tyler Zeller & Sergey Karasev in this deal

Given that there are too many perimeter players needing minutes in the Bay Area, restricted free agent guard Jordan Crawford could soon be on the move. The Golden State Warriors are reportedly looking for a sign-and-trade partner for the four-year vet. Per Yahoo!:

“They made a call and inquired,” King said, “but there’s nothing at this point that makes sense for us.”

King said he and Pierce’s camp both have salary figures in mind, though he intimated the Nets are trying to be a bit more fiscally prudent after spending more than $100 million on payroll alone last year and more than $190 million in combined payroll and luxury-tax commitments.

“I think we’re in the process,” King said. “We know the number we want to get to, I think they know the number they want to get to. We’re just trying to get to the point where we’re all comfortable and I know what we’re trying to accomplish, and it’s just in the negotiation process. That’s all it is. We have the ability to pay him more than everybody else, but we are going to be a little bit more financially responsible at this point in time.”

Rivers, the Clippers’ president and coach, has had several conversations with Pierce since he became a free agent July 1.

And while the Clippers could simply sign Pierce as a free agent using their midlevel exception at $5.3 million, they are interested in pursuing sign-and-trade scenarios that would allow Brooklyn to get something in return for the 10-time All-Star and because the Clippers already have so many small forwards.

Because Brooklyn holds his Bird rights, a sign-and-trade also would allow Pierce — who made $15.3 million last season — to sign for more than the midlevel exception. The Clippers likely would include some combination of Jared Dudley, Matt Barnes and last year’s first-round pick, Reggie Bullock, according to sources.

Word leaked out of their talks with Kidd, while Larry Drew was still the coach and before general manager John Hammond was informed of the pursuit of a new coach.

“We were naïve about how this business is put out to the press,” Edens said. “We are used to operating in businesses where discretion is necessary and part of the fabric of it. The degree to which the media plays an integral role in basketball was a shock to me.”

“We made the mistake of taking them at face value with what they asked us to do,” Edens said of the Nets owners, who asked for confidentiality in the talks.

Hollins led the Memphis Grizzlies to three consecutive playoff appearances in his last three seasons with the team. In 2012-13, his last year at the helm, the Grizzlies won 56 games and advanced all the way to the Western Conference finals. The two sides ultimately decided to part ways, and Hollins’ contract was not renewed, apparently because there were philosophical differences between him and ownership.

Hollins would take over for Jason Kidd, who left the team to take over the Milwaukee Bucks earlier this week.

Hollins has been a favorite of Nets officials for some time and was pursued by Brooklyn to serve as an assistant to Kidd after the in-season departure of Lawrence Frank, but the former Grizzlies coach was determined to wait for a head-coaching opportunity. Hollins was also chased hard this spring by the Houston Rockets to serve as the top aide to Rockets coach Kevin McHale in the event that he didn’t land a top position.

“We intend to enter into a player contract with Shaun Livingston once the moratorium period ends,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said in a calculated comment that is about all the NBA will allow until the deals are allowed to be made official July 10.

The Warriors agreed to a three-year, $16 million deal – with the third year partially guaranteed – for Livingston, a 28-year-old who can play behind point guard Stephen Curry or alongside him. At 6-foot-7, Livingston proved he can defend multiple positions last season in Brooklyn while averaging 8.3 points, 3.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds in a stirring comeback story.

“I love the move,” Curry texted. “He’s a versatile guard, who can fit right in.”

“It’s the fit. Definitely the fit,” Livingston said. “I want to remain competitive and this is the best opportunity. It’s sweet to just be in this opportunity,” he added. “You look at coming into the year, you look at what everyone expected me to do and then you look at the offers and the deal that came in. It’s sweet.”

“When you list the characteristics that make a successful head coach, you would include leadership, communication and a competitive drive,” said GM John Hammond. “Jason used all of those traits to become a 10-time All-Star player in the NBA, and has now translated his on-court success to the bench. We welcome him to the Bucks organization and look forward to building a Championship-caliber team with him as our head coach.”

“Jason is a determined leader, a tough-minded competitor and a great teammate,” said Bucks owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry. “We believe his focus, vision and intensity will help him work alongside John and David (Morway) to rebuild the Milwaukee Bucks as we aspire to achieve excellence over the next several years. We are excited that Jason will call Milwaukee his new home.”

Kidd, 41, most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets where he guided the team to a 44-38 record, earned the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, and was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month twice. The Nets upset the three-seed Toronto Raptors in seven games in the First Round before falling to the Miami Heat in the Second Round.

Jason Kidd is said to have played a big role in convincing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to join the Nets last summer. Pierce is now an unrestricted free agent, and, with Kidd no longer in the fold in Brooklyn, may explore other options. From ESPN.com:

A handful of teams, sources say, called after 12:01 a.m. Tuesday to register their interest in Brooklyn swingman Paul Pierce, with the Clippers in particular believing that Jason Kidd’s departure has “opened the door” to stealing Pierce away from the Nets.

Hard times in Brooklyn right now. After trading their head coach to the Milwaukee Bucks, news has broken about the Nets’ massive loss in profit during the 2013-14 season. From Grantland:

The basketball side of the Nets’ business is projected to have lost $144 million over the 2013-14 season, according to a confidential memo the league sent to all 30 teams in early June. (Grantland has reviewed and verified the memo with a half dozen sources.) If that strikes you as out of whack, that’s because it is.

The NBA expects nine teams will end up having lost money once luxury-tax distribution and revenue-sharing payments are finalized. The Nets, with that monster $144 million figure, are the biggest losers. Next in line? The Wizards, with projected losses of about $13 million. That’s right: The Nets lost $131 million more than any other NBA team last season. This is what happens when you pay $90 million in luxury tax for an aging roster and play in a market so large you are ineligible to receive any revenue-sharing help.

It’s important to note the figures here stem from basketball activities only, and do not appear to include benefits the Nets and Prokhorov get from their ownership stake in the Barclays Center. And Prokhorov, of course, is heli-skiing levels of rich. But taking a $144 million bath when the rest of the league is swimming in profits does not sit well.

It seems inevitable that the Nets will have a new coach next season following the bizarre turn of events surrounding Jason Kidd. George Karl’s name has already come up as a possible replacement for Kidd, and he’d reportedly be open to the gig.

Depending on how things shake out with Brooklyn and Jason Kidd, told George Karl would have “significant interest in coaching Nets.”

The Nets and Cavs are reportedly discussing a trade involving Jarrett Jack and Marcus Thornton. According to ESPN.com report, the Nets are concerned about losing unrestricted free agent Shaun Livingston

The Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers are discussing a swap of guards Marcus Thornton and Jarrett Jack, according to sources briefed on the talks.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Nets, amid fears that they’ll be unable to re-sign Shaun Livingston in free agency, have identified Jack as a prime target to either help fill the void or improve their backcourt versatility.

After arriving in Brooklyn in a mid-season trade with Sacramento, Thornton has only one year left on his contract, which would appeal to the Cavaliers as they attempt to create as much salary-cap flexibility as possible for the summer of 2015.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, is among the few teams in the league believed to be unafraid of trading for the two fully guaranteed years left on Jack’s contract. Jack’s contract is only partially guaranteed in 2016-17.